You need to find a balanced workout program that you can stick to to reap the benefits of physical activity. The benefits of having a regular exercise program include improved mood, reduced risk of heart disease, and help with sleep. The key to an effective exercise program is to challenge your body and engage your mind by adding various forms of exercise such as aerobics, full-body exercises, stretching, and weightlifting.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The CDC also recommends two days of muscle-strengthening activities.
Your exercise routine depends on your goals, such as building muscles and building strength. Here’s an example of a weekly workout plan developed by Jacklyn Romano, CPT, a certified physical therapist in New Jersey, and Dr. Sharon Gam, a certified personal trainer and wellness coach, to help you identify goals and start exercising.
Exercise Programs
Romano and Gam have designed this 7-day workout program that will help you get into the habit of exercising regularly. Here’s what’s on the agenda for each day:
- Monday: Aerobic exercise
- Tuesday: lower body
- Wednesday: Upper body and core
- Thursday: Active rest and recovery
- Friday: lower body, focusing on gluteal muscles
- Saturday: Upper body
- Sunday: Rest and recovery
Warm Up and Cool Down
Spend 5 to 10 minutes warming up before each workout to prevent injury. Try dynamic stretching exercises, such as kicks and knee raises, to get blood flowing to your muscles and move your joints. End the workout by stretching your muscles or walking slowly to calm down to safely bring your heart rate back to normal.
Top/Bottom Split
In this example workout plan, you’ll do four muscle strengthening sessions: two days a week for the upper body and two days for the lower body. Stick to the same exercises for each workout, gradually increasing the weight and reps as you get stronger.
Progressive Overload
Romano recommends gradual overloading, or doing the same exercises, but challenging yourself with heavier weights or more reps. Start with 10 reps per set and take a one-minute break between each set.
Romano says that for beginners, ten reps is the ideal range. If you pass, your movements may be affected, and if you do, you won’t be as familiar with the action. If a certain exercise feels too easy, the key is to gain weight so you can challenge your muscles.
The Importance of Stretching Exercises
Many people are often stingy with stretching exercises. However, flexibility is key to maintaining joint range of motion and preventing injury.
Hold each of the following stretches for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side:
- Calf Extension: Lean yourself against the wall and bend your right foot upwards so that your toes are against the wall. Move close to the wall until you feel the stretch.
- Hamstring stretch: Lie on the floor near the wall. Lift your right leg and place your heel against the wall. Straighten your legs until you feel the stretch.
- Hip flexor extension: Place the towel under your left knee and kneel on the floor. Place your right foot in front of you and bend your right knee. Move your hips forward until you feel the stretch and place your weight on your right leg.
- Shoulder Extension: Use your left arm to place your right arm in front of your chest.
- Quadrilateral Stretch: Hold on to a wall or chair back to stabilize yourself. Grab your right ankle and pull your heel up and back into your hip. Keep your knees together.
Monday: Aerobic Exercise
Aim for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity, such as cycling, jogging, running, and walking. The CDC recommends that you aim for moderate intensity, which is a heart rate between 64% and 76% of your maximum heart rate. You can talk while you exercise. In contrast, the intense intensity means that you can only say a few words without stopping.
A good rule of thumb to find your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you’re 40 years old, your maximum heart rate will be 175 beats per minute (bpm). Your target heart rate will be between 112 bpm and 133 bpm.
Steady-state aerobic exercise (endurance training) can improve cardiorespiratory endurance and reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Your body learns to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles more efficiently while flushing waste out of your body. So, these exercises will become easier over time, so you need to gradually increase your pace.
Tuesday: Lower Body
With four compound lifts, the first muscle-strengthening session of the week will target your lower body, including your hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps. Compound weightlifting is an exercise that uses multiple muscle groups. For example, deadlifts work your lower body, arms, and core muscles.
Perform the following exercises, repeating 10 times in each set, with a one-minute rest between each set:
- Deadlift: Keep your feet shoulder-width apart, hips pushed back, knees slightly bent, and bend forward, keeping your back straight. Grab a barbell or a pair of dumbbells with your hands. Lift heavy objects by pushing your hips forward while keeping your back flat. Slowly lower the weight back onto the floor.
- Hip thrust: Sit on the floor with your shoulders resting on a bench or stable chair behind you. Place your feet on the ground and push your hips up. Squeeze your hips until your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Return your hips to the ground.
- Lunge: Stand in a split position so that one foot is a few feet in front of the other. Keep your torso straight, then bend your knees until your back knees are a few inches from the floor and your front thighs are parallel to the floor. Push your heel back to the starting position. Repeat on opposite sides.
- Squats: Lower your body as if you were sitting in a chair. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and flat on the floor. Push back to standing.
Make sure to perfect your posture to avoid injury before adding weight. Add enough weight so that your last few reps will have your muscles burning and your heart beating.
Wednesday: Upper Body and Core
Your legs may feel sore, but today your attention will be on your arms and you will get rest as a result. You’ll work your biceps, triceps, and chest muscles by doing the following:
- Biceps curls: Hold a dumbbell in each hand or hold a barbell with both hands. Keep your elbows at your sides and your forearms running parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows, transfer your weight to your shoulders, and return to the starting position.
- Chest Press: Lie on your back on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and hold a dumbbell in each hand or a barbell in both hands. Keep your arms perpendicular to your body with your palms facing forward. Extend your elbows and push the weight up. Lower the weight to return to the starting position.
- Triceps arm flexion: Sit on a chair or bench and grasp the edge next to your hips. Slide your butt off the chair and lower yourself so that your elbows are bent at a 45-degree or 90-degree angle. Push yourself back to the starting position.
Each exercise is repeated 10 times for three sets with a one-minute rest between each set. Complete this course with a fast core loop. Choose some core movements, such as sit-ups, planks, and Russian turns, each lasting 30 seconds with 10 to 15 seconds of rest in between. Repeat the exercise until it reaches 10-15 minutes.
Thursday: Active Rest and Recovery
Give your body a chance to recover and recharge. Muscle-strengthening activities create tiny micro-tears in your muscle fibers, making your muscles ache and ache. This may sound shocking, but it actually means that your muscles will grow stronger again than before. Not allowing muscle recovery increases the risk of injury and hinders muscle strengthening.
If you’re not too sore or too tired, you may be able to do some form of exercise even on rest days. Active rest may include walks and stretching, which can relieve muscle tension after a workout.
Friday: Lower Body, Focusing on Gluteal Muscles
This lower body workout will focus on your gluteal muscles. Warm up three rounds with five resistance band exercises, such as bridge, clamshell, and squat.
Once you have activated your glutes, you will continue with weight-bearing exercises. Romano recommends doing 10 reps with three sets of hinge movements, including deadlifts, hip thrusts, and single-leg hip thrusts. These exercises target the glutes and hamstrings.
Saturday: Upper Body
For your last workout of the week, focus on your back and shoulders. Before you start lifting weights, you need to activate your muscles first. Try doing three sets of push-ups and pull-ups of 10 reps each. You can modify it with incline push-ups and assisted pull-ups until you build strength.
You will then complete five weight-bearing exercises with 10 repetitions in each set. These exercises include:
- Dumbbell one-arm row: Place one hand under your shoulder and with your arm straight and place on a bench. Place the corresponding knee on the bench and the other leg to the side with the foot flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbell in your other hand and paddle your elbow to the side of your body until it is parallel to the ground. Lower and repeat on the other side.
- High pulldown: Grasp the stem of the rope machine with your palms facing outwards and shoulder-width apart. Make sure you sit on a bench or kneel on the floor. Pull the bar down to your chest and slowly return to the starting position.
- Lateral raise: Standing or sitting with a dumbbell in each hand and arms at your sides, activate your core muscles and slowly lift the dumbbells to one side until your arms are parallel to the ground. Slowly return to the starting position.
- Reverse Bird: Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your feet shoulder-width apart, slightly bent at the waist, and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Raise your arms to the sides and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position.
- Shoulder Press: Whether sitting or standing, hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height. Keep your palms facing outwards and bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle. Push the weight upwards until the arms are straight and the weight touches the top of the head. Slowly lower to the starting position.
Sunday: Rest and Recovery Day
Give your body time to recover and celebrate your hard work for the week. You can try yoga or stretching exercises to prevent your muscles from becoming too stiff and sore.
It’s also okay to take a complete day off. Active and relaxing rest days have a place in our weekly routine, whether it’s reading a book on the couch or watching Netflix. The most important thing is that you listen to your body.
Tips
Sticking to regular exercise can be difficult. Here are some ways to make physical activity an ongoing habit:
Invite your friends: Make a plan to meet up with friends and exercise together, which can make you responsible.
Make workouts fun: The best way to stick to your workout program is to find something you enjoy. This example of a weekly workout plan can serve as a good starting point on how to change your workouts, but incorporate your favorite activities.
Schedule your workouts: Schedule 30-45 workouts throughout the day so you know you always have time to exercise.
Track your progress: Start keeping a journal to write down the distance you’ve traveled or the weight you’ve lifted on your bike, jogging, or walking. Seeing your progress can be a motivation to keep going.
Try a fitness class: Sign up for a Pilates or Zumba class in your area and try something new.
Don’t Forget About Nutrition
In addition to eating a balanced diet, regular exercise is essential for overall health. A nutritious diet can help reduce the risk of several chronic diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Make sure you’re getting enough carbohydrates, healthy fats, and protein to satisfy your appetite and keep you energized.
Here are some suggestions for eating a balanced diet:
- Choose low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
- Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
- Drink plenty of water.
- Make sure you’re getting enough calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and other essential nutrients.
- Limit your intake of added sugars, alcohol, salt, and saturated fats.
- Choose lean meats, poultry, and fish instead of red meat.
Conclusion
Regular physical activity can improve mood, reduce the risk of heart disease, and help with sleep. Try sticking to this sample exercise plan to help you get into the habit of exercising. But keep in mind that your workout plan will depend on your goals. As you progress, adjust this program to help you better achieve these goals.
